Body checking can take a serious toll on self-esteem. If we’re creating content that involves body checking, it might stem from a perceived need for reassurance a few body part that makes us insecure. If we’re observing body checking in our feed, it may lead to comparison and a scarcity of self-satisfaction. The issue is that body checking doesn’t just occur once we’re online; We supply the mindset into other parts of our lives. “After we body check offline, it’s the weather of our body we dislike that we normally deal with,” psychologist Dr. Lara Zibarras told Dazed Beauty. “Ultimately this ends in a distorted perception of our body. It’s this distorted perception, together with continuous negative thoughts about our bodies, that take up lots of mental capability which negatively impacts our ability to pay attention or think clearly.”

What makes it much more problematic is that body checking is usually disguised on TikTok. It’s pitched as healthy eating, blissful guts, or “What I Eat In A Day” content. After all, not all content about healthy eating is “thinspo,” and there are actually helpful videos on the platform for those on the lookout for more inspiration or structure of their cooking schedule. But, it might direct our attention to an unhappy body image rather more easily. “For the reason that behavior is usually used as a technique to control weight or size, any perceived failure, for instance, a change in shape or size, can then result in lowered mood, low self-esteem and much more body dissatisfaction and self-critical thoughts, which then results in more body checking and so the cycle continues,” Dr. Zibarras said.